Chicago Public Schools will phase out three South Side high schools over three years as opposed to shutting them all down this summer.
Chicago Tribune reports that the news is an abrupt change to the long-standing plan to address schools that have struggled with enrollment and academics in underserved neighborhoods.
Three high schools, Harper, Hope and TEAM Englewood High will remain open until current freshmen graduate under a revamped proposal announced on Monday by CPS.
This summer, CPS will still close Robeson High School pending a final vote from the Chicago Board of Education. The building would be demolished and replaced with a campus valued at $85 million that is expected to open next year exclusively for freshmen.
The partial reverse of the district’s plan follows a series of public hearings regarding the proposed closings. During those hearings, residents and community activists criticized the initial plan to close down all four schools at the end of the school year.
